A/N: I heart this chapter! I'm going to have the BEST time writing this family dinner!

A/N 2: I haven't forgotten Reunion...I'm just making really, really slow progress on it. As in, like, two lines a day. Sigh.

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A few hours later, Rob hung up his phone and smiled to himself. Alex was going to kill him, but man was this going to be a fun night . . .

Even forewarned as he had been, he shot out of his chair like his ass was on fire when a scream came from his sister's room a moment later. His pen and clipboard went flying and he cursed as he caught his foot on the leg of the couch in his attempt to move quickly.

He found her sitting up in bed, panting, her face drawn at the pain her sudden movement had caused her. "Alex," he said quietly, sitting down next to her. "You awake?"

She didn't answer for a second, and he was preparing to speak again when she nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm . . . awake." A shiver ran through her and she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Are you ok?"

"No," she said flatly, turning away from him in an attempt to hide the the pathetic expression she knew was on her face. "I'm not sure I'm ever going to be totally ok again."

Not in the least fooled by her movement, he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better, at least temporarily?"

The leering face, coming toward her fast, too fast . . . she couldn't avoid him . . .

She stiffened, fighting to push away the remnants of the dream. "Talk."

"What?"

"Talk. About anything. Keep me distracted until it goes away."

"Um . . .ok." He stopped, trying to think of what would be most effective at distracting her. "I talked to Mom while you were asleep." She didn't reply, but when she didn't seem to get any more panicked either, he went on, "She was glad that I'm with you. I get the impression you haven't been keeping her too up-to-date on how you're doing."

"So she made you tell her everything," Alex said with a trace of humor, weak as it was, re-entering her voice. "Is she on her way over here now?"

"Nah," he said, ruffling her hair. "Worse than that. You've been summoned to dinner tonight so she can see you for herself."

That comment had the intended effect on her as her eyes widened and she stared at him, momentarily forgetting the nightmare she'd just woken up from in favor of the one Rob had just suggested. "No!" she said emphatically. "No way, not tonight."

"Al, come on. No one's seen you since they let you out of the hospital, and Mom's in the process of summoning everyone to dinner. Just let them see you, smile a little, don't tell them about the nightmares. Let Mom feed you, let Dad bitch and moan about how you should be more careful . . ."

"Robbie, look at me!" she said, gesturing at the bags under her eyes and then at her wrinkled clothes. "If they see me tonight, they'll just be more worried."

"Well . . ." He paused, trying not to look as scheming as he felt. "You said your partner makes you feel better, right? Safe?"

She gave him a suspicious look. "Yes . . . but you better not be hinting at what it sounds like you're hinting at."

"She wants him to come, too."

"No!"

"I thought you wanted to prove to me how grateful we should all be to him."

"I didn't say anything about proving it. I just told you that you should be grateful," she corrected him. "It's not like I need him there to feel safe around my own family."

He paused, noting that her face had regained some of its color and she was no longer hugging herself. Much better! Now let's see if I can shake you completely out of it . . . "Didn't you say he feels guilty?"

She nodded but lowered her eyebrows and gave him a dark look.

"You know Mom will fall all over him to thank him for saving you. Think how much better it will make him feel."

"No."

"Got news for you, Al," he said with a grin. "Mom's going to get you for dinner, even if she has to lead everyone over here instead, so you might as well bring him along, for the food if nothing else." He was sure she was wavering, and he added more aggressively, "Just come! It will make everyone, including you, feel better. And if you bring Goren, I can almost promise you he'll feel better too. No one can watch us all eat dinner together without cracking up at least once."

"He doesn't . . . feel comfortable with families," she sighed. "Especially big, loud, obnoxious ones like ours."

He pulled back and looked at her skeptically. "How do you know? How many big, loud, obnoxious families have you seen him interact with - ones that weren't involved in a case?"

"I just know him," she insisted. "He'll be uncomfortable."

"You know, there's something really wrong with the fact that I am trying to talk you into bringing a guy home for dinner. But I'll ignore that for now. I'll talk to Jen, ok? Between her, me, and you, we can keep the family under some semblance of order so we don't terrify the guy. Better yet -"

"Rob."

"Have him drive you, and that way if you think he's getting uncomfortable you can claim exhaustion and get both of you out of there."

"Rob!"

"What?"

"Would you like to tell me why you're so hung up on Goren coming to dinner?"

"No."

"Do it anyway."

He shrugged. "Like I said, I think he's a decent guy. He was scared to death for you at the hospital - I think I saw Mom comforting him for a while while you were in surgery. I honestly think she'll want to see him, and let's face it - if you have him to worry about, you won't be such a pain in the ass, yourself."

"Gee, I love you too," she snorted. "And I can tell you're not telling me everything, you know."

He grinned irreverently at her. "Doesn't matter to me what you can 'tell' as long as you do what I say. Will you at least call the guy and invite him? Maybe you'll get lucky and he'll turn you down."

She groaned. "Fine. He'll say no. Give me the damn phone, then leave me alone."

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Bobby was slumped over the pile of paperwork Alex's departure had left him with, appearing to be working but actually trying to figure out how to act toward her tonight, when his phone began to play the beginning of Beethoven's 9th symphony. The number on his caller ID display when he fished the phone out of his pocket was unfamiliar, and he opened the handset with caution. "Goren."

"Hey, it's me," said Alex's voice.

He pulled the phone away from his ear to check the caller ID again, verifying that it wasn't hers. "Uh, hi. This isn't your number."

"Yeah, sorry. I'm on Rob's phone. Listen, he wants me to ask you something, ok?" she said.

Her brother wanted her to ask him something? That didn't sound good. Goren straightened up in his chair, set down his pen, and concentrated on the voice in his ear.

"My family's getting together for dinner tonight - like I told you, my mother's been worrying about me - and Rob, uh . . . suggested I bring you along. You don't have to come," she added quickly. "No pressure at all."

He pictured the chaos the Eames family had created in the hospital waiting room a few weeks ago and winced. "Well, I . . ."

"It's ok," she cut in as she heard the hesitation in his voice, feeling a little disappointed in spite of herself. "It was just an idea."

He paused, breaking down her speech into words and tone, and analyzing each. She almost sounded like . . . "Would you . . . like me to come?" he asked tentatively, at the same time wondering what could possibly possess him to volunteer for this.

Alex swallowed and thought about it, glad she had banished her brother from the room. "It would . . . be nice. I'd like for you to meet everyone. But I know you don't like chaos, and . . . my family's a little crazy. So you can say no if you don't want to deal with it."

Taking a deep breath, he let his eyes roam the room as he considered the invitation. "If you really want me to come - if you're not just asking to be polite - then I . . . I'll come."

"You will?" she said, slightly shocked by his acceptance.

No! he wanted to scream. You know I don't know how to act with large, happy families! Why are you asking me to do this?

Into the phone, he just said, "Yes. Do I, uh, need to bring anything?"

"Some Valium might help," she said with a grin he couldn't see. "For me, not you." When he had let out the obligatory chuckle, she went on, "You only need to bring yourself. There will be plenty of food, trust me. Would you mind picking me up after work and driving us there? It'll take aboout an hour, since it's rush hour."

"Uh . . . sure, no problem."

"Great," she said shakily, hoping he wouldn't notice the tremor in her voice. "I'll . . . see you then, then."

"Right. Uh . . . bye."

"Bye."

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When they pulled up in front of her parents' house that evening, Alex only only managed to get one foot out of the car before her mother made a barely-controlled dash from the house to where she stood. "Alex, honey!" she exclaimed, taking Alex's face in her hands. "How are you feeling?"

"At the moment? Cornered," she replied with a grin, gently brushing away her mother's hands. "At least let us get in the house before you start attacking me."

"Us?" her mother repeated, looking confused for a second before catching sight of Bobby's head over the roof of the car. "You brought him!" she said, her face brightening significantly.

"Mother," Alex reprimanded through gritted teeth, "do not embarrass me." Knowing her mother would follow her, she walked around to the other side of the car, where Goren stood trying not to look like he wanted to jump back inside it and lock the doors. "Mom, this is my partner, Bobby Goren. But I hear you guys've already met."

"Of course, sweetie," she said, giving the tall man a wide smile that bore a strong resemblance to her daughter's. "Hello, Robert."

"Bobby, my mom, Molly Eames."

He offered his hand to the woman in front of him, struck by the strong resemblance between mother and daughter. Molly Eames, in contrast to how tall he remembered the rest of the family being, was the same height as Alex, and her dark blonde hair, though worn much shorter than her daughter's, was the same color. "It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Eames."

She waved a hand dismissively. " 'Molly,' please. I'm so glad you agreed to come. Everyone's already inside," she went on, turning to Alex, "except for John and Laura - they ran into a last-second tantrum and they're going to be late."

Alex grinned, enjoying the welcome feeling of being drawn back into the comfortable chaos of her family. "Timmy, or Amy?"

"All of the above," said a voice behind them. "Go say hi to your Aunt Alex, guys," her brother John added as the three people standing by Goren's car turned to watch as John's family piled out of the van that had just pulled in.

Two children, both about five years old and both dark-haired and bright-eyed, came hurtling out from behind his legs, heading for Alex. Knowing the children didn't understand the concept of broken bones plus flying kids equalling pain, Alex took a step back and glanced at her mother, who reached out and snagged Timmy as he flew past, sweeping him into her arms.

"Robert, would you . . .?" Molly began as Amy, the slightly slower runner, approached.

Bobby copied her movements, plucking Amy off of the ground easily. "Hello," he said when the little girl stared at his face in confusion.

"Who're you?" the girl demanded.

"That, sweetheart," John said as he relieved the stranger of his daughter, "is a very good question." Turning to Alex, he raised his eyebrows. "I second the inquiry," he told her, patting Amy's back as he eyed his sister and her companion curiously.

"Jonathan!" his mother, sounding scandalized. "Pretend you have some manners!"

"Sorry," he said, chastened, as he turned to face Goren. "John Eames," he said. "I'd shake your hand, but this one," he said, jiggling the little girl in his arms, "requires both hands to control."

"Daddy!" Amy squealed, crossing her arms against his chest and trying her best to glare up at him. "Who is he?"

"Stupid!" her brother accused from his grandmother's arms a safe distance away. "He was there when Aunt Alex got hurted." Looking from his sister to Goren, who was watching the exchange and looking slightly shell-shocked, he added, "But I don't know your name, mister."

"Ok, ok," Alex said, stifling a laugh at the expression on her partner's face. "Enough, you guys. John, I thought you already met my partner, Bobby?"

John's eyes widened and he let out a long, "Ohhhh!"

"Idiot," Alex said affectionately, stepping forward to give him a one-armed hug around Amy's body. "Where's Laura?"

"Laura," said a woman with riotously curly red hair as she appeared behind John, "got stuck with the kids' stuff while the big galoot," she said, nodding to John, "ran ahead to say hi to you." She pointedly let the knapsack on her shoulder drop onto John's foot to punctuate to her statement.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, hamming up the pain for the sake of his children's amusement. "That wasn't nice."

"I would have done the same thing," Alex informed him with a grin. "You know better than to make her carry everything. Laura," she added, leaning carefully forward to hug her sister-in-law, "you look great."

"Yeah? I call it 'post-tantrum chic'," Laura replied with an answering smile. "Note the fried hair and mismatched socks."

"Right, because I look like a fashion plate," Alex retorted, looking down at what had become her uniform in the past week: a pair of Goren's sweatpants, rolled up within an inch of their life, and an equally oversized, worn shirt that had also once belonged to him.

"You do look kinda scary," John agreed teasingly. "Lose a lot of weight recently?"

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Can we go inside?" she asked, turning to her mother. "I would dearly love to sit down right about now."

"Of course, honey! Do you have anything you need carried in?"

"Just my . . ." she started, breaking off when Bobby raised one hand to show her her purse, which he'd remembered to grab from the car. "Yeah, that."

Goren thought he saw a smirk on her brother's face, but it disappeared quickly as the whole group trailed their matriarch into the Eames home.